From Idler to Tech Tycoon: Earth

Chapter 20: Features
Chapter 20 - 20: FeaturesRichard tapped the marker against the whiteboard, smirking. ”I’m not done yet.”

Jack, still trying to wrap his head around everything, let out a short laugh. ”Man, there’s more? You’re really packing everything into this, huh?”

Richard nodded and drew another vertical line on the board. At the top, he wrote:

Advanced Procedural Physics

”I’m sure you’re familiar with this one,” Richard said, turning to Jack. ”I actually integrated some of its code into our test build when we were tweaking the physics mechanics.”

Jack’s eyes widened slightly. ”Wait, what? That weirdly smooth, ultra-responsive physics in our last test... That was this?”

Richard nodded. ”Yep. This system is AI-driven, meaning it dynamically adjusts physics calculations based on the scene complexity and available processing power. It ensures realistic interactions while keeping performance optimized.”

Jack scratched his head. ”So, instead of every object obeying a one-size-fits-all physics model, the engine tweaks it based on what’s happening in real time?”

Richard snapped his fingers. ”Exactly. If an object is just sitting there, it won’t waste resources on unnecessary physics calculations. But the moment it moves or collides, the AI determines the necessary calculations instantly—whether it’s basic rigid body physics or advanced soft-body deformations.”

Jack leaned back, exhaling. ”Bro... That’s insane. That means even large-scale environments with tons of objects won’t tank performance.”

Richard grinned. ”Now you get it. That’s why our last build ran so smoothly, even with all the destructible objects.”

Jack chuckled. ”Damn. If you had told me earlier, I wouldn’t have spent hours trying to optimize it manually.”

Richard shrugged. ”Well, now you know.”

Without pausing, Richard drew another vertical line and wrote:

Modular Asset & Code Library

Jack squinted at the new title. ”Alright, what’s this one about?”

Richard turned toward him. ”One of the biggest time sinks in game development is recreating the same core systems over and over again—whether it’s movement mechanics, inventory systems, or UI frameworks.”

Jack nodded slowly. ”Yeah... That’s why so many devs rely on asset stores. You’re saying Vector Core has something built-in?”

Richard pointed at the board. ”Exactly. It comes preloaded with procedural assets and code modules, all designed to be plug-and-play. Need a basic character controller? Done. Need a weather system? Drag and drop. Inventory system? Click and configure.”

Jack sat forward. ”Hold up. So instead of building everything from scratch, we can just grab a ready-made system and tweak it?”

Richard grinned. ”Pretty much. But here’s the kicker—these aren’t static assets. They’re procedural. The AI can generate variations based on developer input. Need a unique-looking tree for a forest? The AI will generate one. Need a different walk cycle for an NPC? Just tweak a few parameters, and it’s done.”

Jack let out a low whistle. ”Man... This isn’t just a game engine. This is like... an automated development assistant.”

Richard smirked. ”And speaking of assistants...”

He drew the final vertical line and wrote:

AI-Assisted Documentation & Tutorials

Jack tilted his head. ”Wait, let me guess—this thing teaches devs how to use it?”

Richard grinned. ”Bingo. Built-in AI tutor that guides users step-by-step through game creation. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced dev, it adapts to your knowledge level. Stuck on a feature? Ask it, and it’ll explain with real-time examples. Need a code reference? It pulls up relevant documentation instantly.”

Jack’s jaw dropped. ”Dude. Do you realize how much easier that makes learning new tools? No more scouring YouTube tutorials or digging through outdated documentation.”

Richard nodded. ”Exactly. It ensures that no feature in the engine goes unused just because someone doesn’t understand it.”

Jack leaned back, shaking his head in amazement. ”Man... This is game development on steroids.”

Richard capped the marker and stepped back, admiring the fully loaded whiteboard. ”So, now you see the full picture. This is what Vector Core is capable of.”

Jack chuckled. ”Bro, we’re not just making a game. If this engine works as intended, we’re about to disrupt the entire industry.”

Richard smirked. ”That’s the plan.”

Richard capped the marker and leaned back against the table, arms crossed. ”So, any comments or questions?”

Jack stared at the whiteboard, rubbing his temples as if processing everything he had just heard. After a long pause, he exhaled deeply and looked at Richard with a resigned expression.

”Bro... You do realize that every developer out there with wild creative ideas but zero actual skills to develop a game is going to line up at our doorstep, right?”

Richard nodded, unsurprised. ”Yeah, I know. But we don’t have to release the engine for commercial use right away. We can utilize it first, perfect it, and when the time is right, then we’ll consider opening it up to the public.”

Jack raised an eyebrow. ”And when is ’the right time’? Because this thing is light-years ahead of anything out there. The moment people get wind of it, we’re going to have a target on our backs.”

Richard sighed, choosing his words carefully. ”That’s why we need international profits first. If our contributions boost the economy, the government will protect our interests. But there’s another side to that coin—we could also get sued for breaching national security laws.”

Jack gave him a confused look. ”National security?”

Richard nodded grimly. ”Think about it. AI-driven physics, procedural generation, automated game development—this isn’t just for games, Jack. This kind of tech can be used for military simulations, training AI models, even creating fully immersive virtual environments. If we don’t handle this right, we could be accused of not protecting developers’ rights... or worse, selling off key innovations to foreign entities. The lawsuits alone could bury us.”

Jack ran a hand through his hair. ”Damn... I didn’t even think about that.”

Richard continued, ”We’ll have to lay low, keep refining the engine, and build a stronger cybersecurity infrastructure before even thinking about commercialization. If we do release it, we’ll need to establish a strict licensing model, and that could take—”

Jack cut in, finishing his sentence. ”Eight years? Ten?”

Richard shrugged. ”That’s the ballpark. By then, we’ll have built enough credibility and influence to control how it’s distributed.”

Jack leaned forward, clasping his hands together. ”Alright, I can get behind that. But now I have an even bigger question.”

Richard raised an eyebrow. ”Shoot.”

Jack leaned in slightly, his expression turning serious. ”Where the hell did you get all this technology from?”

For a split second, Richard felt his pulse quicken. His mind raced. Shit, shit, shit. Should I tell him now? No—not yet. He needed to gauge Jack’s reaction first.

Instead of panicking, he forced a relaxed smile. ”Do you still remember the Keeper?”

Jack blinked. ”Come on, bro. I’m being serious.”

Richard kept smiling. ”I am serious. I got this knowledge from the Keeper.”

Jack threw up his hands in surrender. ”Bro—seriously, stop dodging. I’m asking where you actually got this. You didn’t just pull this out of thin air.”

Richard shrugged. ”Think about it. Do you really think I just lucked my way into winning millions from the lottery?”

Jack froze.

For the first time, Richard saw hesitation in his eyes. It was the first breadcrumb, the first hint at a much bigger truth—one that Richard wasn’t quite ready to drop yet.

Jack narrowed his eyes. ”You’re saying that wasn’t luck?”

Richard just smiled. ”You tell me.”

Jack slumped into a nearby chair, exhaling heavily. ”Alright, I believe you. It wouldn’t make sense for you to have learned all of this in such a short time anyway.” He rubbed his temples before shaking his head. ”But the real kicker is—will all of that actually work? Until we test it, I can’t fully believe what you just said. No offense, bro, but this could all just be some crazy, over-the-top idea from your imagination.”

Richard grinned. ”That’s fair. But hey, we can’t test anything if we don’t even assemble these damn rigs first.”

Jack chuckled, stretching his arms. ”Ah, yeah, you’re right. Let’s build our PCs first.”

They stepped into the office, where the neatly stacked boxes of PC components awaited them like treasure chests waiting to be opened. The air smelled of fresh packaging, new electronics, and faint traces of the air conditioning humming in the background.

They began unboxing their parts, carefully unwrapping each component from its protective foam and anti-static bags. The polished metal of the ASUS Rampage IV Extreme motherboard gleamed under the office lights, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 graphics cards looked beastly in their packaging.

Jack held up the monstrous GPU and whistled. ”Damn... this thing looks like a tank. If it overheats, I bet I could fry an egg on it.”

Richard laughed, installing the motherboard into the case. ”Well, that’s why we got the high-airflow case and liquid cooling. Unless you actually want a fried egg on your PC.”

Jack grinned as he started mounting the PSU. ”Might be a good emergency backup cooking method.”

As they continued assembling, Jack glanced over at Richard, curiosity flickering in his eyes. ”By the way, bro, when’s the timeline until we can actually test your Vector Core Engine?”

Richard paused briefly before tightening a screw. ”Give it a month.”

Jack raised an eyebrow. ”That’s it? Just a month?”

Richard nodded. ”Yeah. Right now, I’m about 10—maybe 15% done—building the basic framework. After that, I need to repolish everything, make sure it’s all in order. It’ll take some late nights, but it’s doable.”

Jack leaned back, thinking. ”A month is fine... Maybe even unrealistically too short. But hey, I guess if anyone can pull this off, it’s you.”

Richard smirked. ”Damn right. Now, stop slacking and finish wiring your build.”

Jack rolled his eyes. ”Yeah, yeah, Mr. Genius.”

They continued assembling their PCs, the rhythmic clicks of parts snapping into place and the hum of the screwdriver filling the air.

Tonight, they were just two guys building high-end gaming rigs. But soon, they’d be shaping the future of game development itself.